By Kayode Adeoti
For 20 years, a staff of the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation, (NNPC) Oke-Oyi, Kwara State, Agboola Abass, ploughed his earnings towards a befitting residential building for his family.
Just on the day Abass had accomplished his aim of having a roof over his head and had moved into the apartment, he was crushed to death in a ghastly auto crash along Ajasse-Ipo road, Ilorin.
Abass, who reportedly laid the foundation of his house in 1998 and completed the building late 2018 was pronounced dead on arrival at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Oke Oyi following the unfortunate accident.
Also left in critical conditions at the UITH were six occupants of the affected vehicles and a commercial motorcyclist and passenger.
Speaking on the incident, an eye witness who was one of the rescuers, Barrister Muftau Olobi, said that Abass’ Mazda 626 car was involved in head on collision with one Honda Accord that was moving towards Offa garage before losing control and climbing over the median kerb to face oncoming vehicles on the other lane.
He said, “We don’t know what happened to the driver of the Accord car, though people said he was drunk for driving at such speed. It was a sad event.
“The speed was just too much as he left his lane before colliding with Abbas’ car that was coming from Offa Garage. It took a long time before Abass, who was behind the wheels could be rescued. We had to use jack and other things to detach him from his vehicle that was badly damaged.
“At that same spot, a CRV jeep ran into a commercial motorcycle, leaving the rider and his passenger terribly injured.”
Another eye witness, Saheed Ayinde, blamed the driver of the Accord car for the incident.
“The Accord car lost control, left his lane and crossed to the other side before hitting the Mazda car. It took about two hours to remove the driver of the Mazda car. In fact, it was a trailer that was passing by we begged to help us separate the driver’s body from the badly damaged car.
Speaking with this medium on condition of anonymity, one of the neighbours of the deceased, said, “This is so unfortunate because Abass only moved to his own house he built for about 20 years. When he was leaving this afternoon, we were happy for him, we never knew we won’t see again.”
When contacted on the telephone last night, the Police Public Relations Officer, Kwara State Command, Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the development but claimed he is yet to get details of the incident.
He said, “I know of the accident, but I’ve not gotten details of the number of persons that died,” adding that one Accord car with number plate; EA381-EKY, coming on speed was said to have swayed from his lane and collided with a Mazda 626 salon car.
